Canadian Mosaic Analysis

Canada prides itself at home and abroad as a country made up of a cultural mosaic rather than a cultural melting pot. The mosaic is based on our belief that Canada as a whole becomes stronger by having immigrants bring with them their cultural diversity for all Canadians to learn from. The cultural melting pot, as adopted in the United States, tells immigrants that no matter who they have been in the past, upon landing on American shores, they are Americans and are expected to adopt and follow the American way. At the heart of Canadian society is our legal system. Our legal system is based on the English Common Law model, which in turn is based on a value system that places a strict adherence to following procedural rules over the substantive

The survey found that 50% of the population aged 15 and up felt that they had a very strong sense of belonging to their ethnic group. The feeling of belonging was greatest amongst first generation Canadians, who just came to Canada. Friends and family play a vital role in a new immigrant’s initial settlement in finding employment opportunities and housing. New immigrants who rely on friends and family from the same background also tend to be the same ones reporting a strong sense of belonging to their ethnic group. The sense of belonging to one’s ethnic group was measured by the individual’s awareness of ethnic heritage, customs and traditions by Stats Canada in a survey. About 63% of respondents who reported at least one ethnic ancestry other than Canadian found that maintaining their customs of high importance. Also, the same respondents also claimed to have to have a greater level of contact amongst their family members back from their place of origin. Another factor for why Canadians refer to their country as a “mosaic” has to do with participation within Canadian society. The survey found that immigrants and Canadians become more active in society as time progresses. First generation Canadians were the most likely to participate in ethnic or immigrant organizations. They are also more likely to vote in the elections, meaning they involved in their country’s